cooling fan not cycling and dead battery

consultjb · 08-30-2013, 07:49 PM

I've got a 2008 roketa 250. The cooling fan come on and stays on. I did get it to cycle by spraying water mist on the radiator, so it appears to work.

The real problem is that I believe this is causing my battery to run down while riding. Then I get stranded when it won't start.

The charging system appears to be working fine, checking with a new, fully charged battery. My trips are generally short, around town rides as I am not too confident about venturing out further.

I haven't checked the thermostat yet or pulled the radiator to see if it is clogged. I did blow air through with a small nozzle on my air hose.

Any ideas would be appreciated...

skuttadawg · 08-30-2013, 11:05 PM

Could be the sensor is bad or it is running hot . Is the factory coolant ? I would change it out if you have not already . I use Prestone premixed that says safe for aluminum . The motorcycle stuff like the pink or blue ( forgot brands ) is a fortune . Check the coolant level in the radiator and reservoir when cool . Some can get air in the hoses and need to be burped . Remove the radiator cap , start it up and let it idle until it gets good and warm . Squeeze the hoses and see if any coolant comes out of the radiator . Make take a few squeezes to get the air out of it if it has any .

How is the oil level and color ? If low or blackened change it out and see if it runs hot .

Any mods like airfilter or exhaust ? One that runs lean will run hot . Do a plug chop and compare with this chart http://www.4secondsflat.com/plug_chart.html

On my Echarm the cooling fan is powered by the stator instead of battery so if I shut off the engine while the fan is on it dies . I have done that and went to restart it and the fan had a draw that made me have to attempt to start 3 or 4 times instead of normal instant start . From then on if the fan is running I let it idle until it shuts down unless I will be parked long enough for it to cool down on its own .

Does the temp gauge have numbers and does the fan come on around the same place on the gauge ? Make sure the radiaor vents are free of and debri and that they have not been bent or mashed .

A hydrometer is a squeeze bulb tube with balls in it and you count the number that float when you use it to suck up a sample of your coolant in the radiator as it is impossible to eye and guess if its 50/50

consultjb · 08-31-2013, 10:15 PM

Hey skuttadawg, thank you for the quick reply. I added some prestone 50/50 about a week ago to fill the radiator. I removed the radiator today to check for clogging, it was ok. So now I will have fresh coolant. When I drained the radiator it looked like clear water came out first, then a girgle and the the pink antifreeze came out. So maybe there was an air pocket.

I did a full tune up on the bike, which had some issues with the intake leaking. Changed the oil, new spark plug, etc... The old plug looked just a little dark, so it might have been running a little rich.

There are no modifications to the bike.

The temp gauge does not have numbers, however, it gets to just a little over half way when the fan comes on. It, too, stops running if I hit the kill switch to kill the motor.

Does this bike have a thermostat? Couldn't find one on the Roketa web site or at any parts outlet. I will check that tomorrow.

Still not sure why the battery is going dead. I will check the current draw when not running to see if any shorts.

Any thoughts are appreciated...

Guest_3 · 09-01-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Does this bike have a thermostat? Couldn't find one on the Roketa web site or at any parts outlet.

Yes it does and it looks like this.

consultjb · 09-02-2013, 12:07 AM

Thanks scooterwayne..

If you're sitting on the bike, is this located under a cover on the bottom left-hand side or on the top of the motor near the intake?

Guest_3 · 09-02-2013, 09:04 AM

I can't remember at this moment.

Follow the top radiator hose back to the engine and it should be there.

consultjb · 09-02-2013, 03:16 PM

hello scooterwayne,

Located and took out the thermostat,it appears to open up about 185-190 degrees farenheit. do you know of any online dealers that may have a replacement available?

Thanks for your help with this matter..

Guest_3 · 09-02-2013, 05:34 PM

PM sent.

or you can ask our sponsor if they have one. http://www.scrappydogscooters.com/

Call, 702-689-6035

09-02-2013, 05:34 PM	#8
Guest_3 Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 538	PM sent. or you can ask our sponsor if they have one. http://www.scrappydogscooters.com/ *Call, 702-689-6035* Last edited by Guest_3; 09-02-2013 at 06:10 PM.
	0

08-30-2013, 11:05 PM	#2
skuttadawg Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 127	Could be the sensor is bad or it is running hot . Is the factory coolant ? I would change it out if you have not already . I use Prestone premixed that says safe for aluminum . The motorcycle stuff like the pink or blue ( forgot brands ) is a fortune . Check the coolant level in the radiator and reservoir when cool . Some can get air in the hoses and need to be burped . Remove the radiator cap , start it up and let it idle until it gets good and warm . Squeeze the hoses and see if any coolant comes out of the radiator . Make take a few squeezes to get the air out of it if it has any . How is the oil level and color ? If low or blackened change it out and see if it runs hot . Any mods like airfilter or exhaust ? One that runs lean will run hot . Do a plug chop and compare with this chart http://www.4secondsflat.com/plug_chart.html On my Echarm the cooling fan is powered by the stator instead of battery so if I shut off the engine while the fan is on it dies . I have done that and went to restart it and the fan had a draw that made me have to attempt to start 3 or 4 times instead of normal instant start . From then on if the fan is running I let it idle until it shuts down unless I will be parked long enough for it to cool down on its own . Does the temp gauge have numbers and does the fan come on around the same place on the gauge ? Make sure the radiaor vents are free of and debri and that they have not been bent or mashed . A hydrometer is a squeeze bulb tube with balls in it and you count the number that float when you use it to suck up a sample of your coolant in the radiator as it is impossible to eye and guess if its 50/50
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09-02-2013, 09:04 AM	#6
Guest_3 Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 538	I can't remember at this moment. Follow the top radiator hose back to the engine and it should be there.
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09-02-2013, 03:16 PM	#7
consultjb Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 4	hello scooterwayne, Located and took out the thermostat,it appears to open up about 185-190 degrees farenheit. do you know of any online dealers that may have a replacement available? Thanks for your help with this matter..
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